Masquerades at Midnight
by TeenageMutantNinjaHamster
Summary: The Jellicle Ball has returned, and while it's veiwed as a magical time by most, one cat who would rather watch than join in notices someting strange going on behind the scenes. But what? And is it even worth getting involved? Suspended again. I know, Soz
1. Introduction

**Author's Note: Just so you all know, I **_**am**_** still writing "Where Are We?" Writer's block sucks. But I guess it isn't really writer's block when you have ideas for a different story... ? Lets just say my plot bunny for that particular story died, but it's planning** **on reviving itself... or something.** **I am SO RANDOM** **in these things...**

**Anyway, this is just my view the relationships between the Jellicles. (This is going to get confusing, I just know it -_-)**

Munkustrap, Rum Tum Tugger, and Macavity are brothers.

Old Deuteronomy is their father.

Demeter is Munkustrap's mate. Jemima is their daughter.

Bombalurina is Demeter's sister.

Etcetera and Admetus are the children of Jellylorum and Asparagus.

Gus is Asparagus's father.

Bustopher Jones is father to Mistoffelees and Victoria.

Jennyanydots is Bustopher's mate. (What? No JennyXSkimble? Gasp! Get over it, people...)

Tumblebrutus and Pouncival are brothers.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are siblings. (Not mates, people.) But here's what makes me the weird one: Teazer is younger than Mungo. (That's why Mungo was involved with Macavity and Teazer wasn't. Get it?)

Cassandra is closely related to Exotica. (Cousins, sisters, Mother-daughter, you decide.)

Plato is the son of Macavity and Demeter. (I took this idea from another author. I can't remember who, but I think it's a great idea so... *takes*)

Skimbleshanks is related to Electra (I dunno...)

Alonzo is Cassandra's mate (almost)

Coricopat and Tantomile are twins.

Rumpus Cat has no known relatives for he is a super hero!

Grizabella has no known relatives. (Cuz I don't care for her in FanFics...)

**I realize this is different from how many of you view the Jellicles, but this is solely my opinion.**

**And with that taken care of, I must start the first chapter. (As I'm typing this, I don't even have a plot yet. So wish me luck.)**


	2. Chapter One

**Author's Note: Kay, I thought of a plot...Sort of. Okay, so I thought of a few things that would happen, and who's POV it would be from. But that's about it ^.^;;**

**This is why I take forever when doing English assignments.**

**Basically, this story begins shortly before the ball the year after the events in CATS, and continues though it.** **But a lot of unexpected things happen (Cuz what would a Jellicle Ball be without unexpectedness?)**

**And here's the catch, you don't know who's telling the story yet. Well...maybe you'll be smart enough to figure out who it is, but no telling! Shhh!**

**ALRIGHT THEN!**

Chapter One

The time has come once again for the Jellicle Ball. I could hear the music playing already. Well, not really. It's morning right now, and the Ball doesn't start until tonight. So I guess hearing the music would be kind of impossible. The point is, I'm excited. After all, this only happens once a year. It's like Christmas, only without spastic little human-kits stomping on your tail while they swarm the big tree. I hate Christmas, sometimes...

I yawned and stretched. I'd been curled up in my human's bed for a while now, and I'd decided it was time to get up. My human, still half asleep, must have heard me, because she mumbled, "Jaymie, It's too early," and rolled over, dumping me off the side of the bed.

I shook myself. Jaymie. Of all the names human's give their pets, did it have to be androgynous?

Although, I suppose it's better than Leslie. There's this Pollicle down the street named Leslie, and he-

Well, the point is, androgynous names suck.

I made my way into the kitchen and took a few bites of catfood that was leftover from the night before. Everlasting Cat forbid the humans refill it before noon. But they'll have fed themselves twice before _that_ happens.

Luckily, the big, male human was kind enough to instal a kitty door, and just through the flap were mice waiting to be caught and eaten by me.

I padded out the kitty door and outside to a place where I knew there would be mice scurrying around: The alley with the garbage cans.

So, it wasn't a very clever or practical name for a place. Especially coming from a practical cat, such as myself. But to be practical and have to call it simply "The alley" and then there'd be at least seven "The alleys."

It wasn't long before I found what I was looking for. A mouse was enjoying gorging itself on some unidentifiable food item. I crouched. Stupid mouse, it had no idea it was being stalked. I stepped closer, making sure I didn't make any sudden movements that would alert it to danger.

Not that this mouse in particular seemed to have any concept of caution. Again, I say: Stupid mouse.

But I can't complain. The dumber the mice, the better fed I become.

When I was close enough, I pounced. It never saw me coming. I ate it in a few swift bites, and briefly wondered what would happen if all the mice suddenly disappeared. I suppose we'd have to start hunting birds and rats a little more. Or, Everlasting Cat forbid, eat scraps out of the garbage. Okay, rhetorical question: over.

After I'd finished eating, and rolled on my back and looked up at the sky. It pained me to see that it was the baby-blue color that screamed, "It's not nearly nighttime, yet."

Damn, sunshine! Why must you torture me with your brightness?

I sighed. At least I'd have a nice, long, relaxing walk to the Junkyard. You see, I live really far away, probably farther than anyone else, so I have to leave early in order to arrive on time. Which is sometimes annoying, as I hardly ever see any other Jellicles before the Ball, but sometimes, like today, it's a good thing. While I'm walking, I won't be thinking about how much I want the thing to start.

I closed my eyes and smiled, remembering the events of last year's Ball.

Of course, It had started the same as it does every year. With a straight forward song about ourselves, and a dance. I liked the first song because nearly everyone got a solo.

Then the first unusual thing that happened was Asparagus noticed a human. Then we told him, and anyone else who may be listening, about the naming of cats. Did you know it was a difficult matter? I didn't, but then again, I've never given a cat one, so I guess I wouldn't know.

After that, Victoria and Mistoffelees recited the invitation. They were so good that year. I've always loved their dance. They look so well together.

I laughed to myself when I remebered what happened when Munkustrap started singing about Jennyanydots. Poor Misto. He thought the song was going to be about him. Oh well, he'd make up for that one later.

And then there came the Rum Tum Tugger out of nowhere. I remember watching Tumble and Pounce trying to copy his dance moves. I think it's safe to say neither of them will ever be as much of a queen hog as Tugger is. But then, who knows?

Then the second unexpected thing happened. That's when Grizabella returned. I remember thinking at first, "Who dragged _that_ in," And apparently, most of the others thought the same. Except for maybe Misto, Vicky, Jemima, and Old Deuteronomy, everyone resented her.

But then everyone was happy again, because Grizabella sauntered off, and Bustopher Jones arrived. It was a nice surprise. He doesn't usually get in on the dancing. Although, he wasn't _really_ dancing...My favorite part was when he surprised Jenny with the rose.

Then the exciting stuff started to happen. A loud crash erupted. We all ran for cover because we thought Macavity had come to start trouble. But it turns out, It was just the notorious cats coming back from a thieving spree. "Was in Mungojerrie?" "Or Rumpleteazer?" "And most of the time, they leave it at that," They may have gotten in trouble for scaring everyone, but you have to admit, their song was catchy.

Then came the point where Old D usually shows up, but we were so caught up with Mungo and Teazer that we'd forgotten. But then Misto called out, "Old Deuteronomy?" And everyone got so excited. We all love Old Deuteronomy. And _I_ love his song. Especially Munkustrap's and Tugger's part. Who knew Tugger could be serious?

Then the fun started. We'd been practicing a skit for weeks. Well, everyone else had been. I didn't get the memo. Darn long distance relationships. Anyway, I watched the Awefull Battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles. It was really cool, but I noticed a lot of mistakes. But they weren't enough to take away from the performance. I was shocked to find out that the real Rumpus Cat had ben there. I guess I'd just assumed it was Admetus or Plato. When I realized I'd missed the chance to meet the Superhero, I nearly cried. Some of the other younger cats has the same reaction. (Except Pouncival. Pounce was just pissed.)

And then that darned crash had to ruin everything again. But not for long. After everyone realized nothing bad had happened, we all danced. And boy, did we dance! I've never danced so much in my life. And Plato's and Vicky's dance was beautiful. I can't wait until I have a turn with someone.

Then Grizabella came back. I guess she expected a different outcome if she tried again, but we all just left. I'm not sure what happened with her after that. The only one who stayed was Old Deuteronomy, and I never thought to ask.

But I have a feeling it was important, because after we returned, he sang about happiness and experiences. He was being very philosophical, and I didn't catch most of it. The only one who seemed to understand fully was Jemima.

After that ended, it was time to hear Gus's story. Unlike most stories, the Theatre Cat's never gets old. I never get tired of hearing it, and I have a feeling Gus never gets tired of telling it. Though, he seemed so sad at the end, he didn't even finish his line. Poor guy. I hope he feels better this year.

Then the music suddenly changed. And it freaked me out for a moment because I was still in Sad, Slow, Music mode. But then I heard "Where is Skimble?" and I knew exactly what was going on. Unlike the Threatre Cat, the Railway Cat overstays it's welcome a lot faster. Oh well. Skimbleshanks's song may be boring, but we all love him, and that's what matters. And the train actually fell apart last year. That was fun.

And then CRASH again! But this time it wasn't a false alarm. Macavity really was out to get us. Well, out to get Old D anyway. And he did, too! I was terrified. All I knew about Macavity was that he was bad, dangerous, and tricky. But Demeter and Bombalurina cleared up a lot of unanswered questions. But as soon as that was over, (he probably planned it that way) Macavity came back and tried to kidnap Demeter. But luckily, Munkustrap and Alonzo were there to save her. But he seemed too strong for both of them. It was freaky. At one point, Macavity did this thing with his paw, and Munk looked hypnotized or someting! But he snapped out of it, and the whole tribe chased him off!

But we needed to find Old D! And that's where Mistoffelees made up for his embarrassing moment and the beginning of the Ball. He's so cool when he goes all magician-y. He picked Cassandra as his assistant for the last trick. I wanted it to be me, but at the same time, I was scared she was trapped when Old D appeared instead of her. But she was okay.

Then It was time to choose the Jellicle choice. I was so excited. I could hardly imagine who it might be. And was surprised one again when Grizabella returned. But this time, something was different. She seemed to be much more determined. She sang. And with a little help form Jemima, seemed to take the whole tribe in her paws. We...well, we excepted her. So much that Old Deuteronomy chose her to be reborn.

I sighed. It was amazing the things that happened under the Jellicle moon.

I opened my eyes and gasped. It was nearly evening! Time to get going. If I left now, I'd arrive just in time for the first song to start. I sat up with a huge grin, and was on my way.

You know, today didn't go by so slow after all.

**Author's note: Sorry that was just a recap of the musical. But I wanted to waste time before we actually got to the ball. The real story most likely starts next chapter.**

**And those of you who are good detectives might already know who the mystery cat is. (FYI, Jaymie is "The name that the family uses" ^.^ and yes. I did use a girlboy name on purpose.)**

**Ugh. Now my wrists hurt from nonstop typing. I'm totally going to have arthritis when I'm older...**

**Until next time!**

**~TMNH**


	3. Chapter Two

**Author's Note: Chapter Two is up and running**, **and by now I have exactly what I want to happen (for the first half of the story) planned out. Dun Dun Dun...**

**(Note: This Jellicle Ball is somewhat based on the movie, and somewhat based on other performances I've seen. So I hope I don't confuse anyone.)**

**Oh, and it seems I've forgotten this oh-so-pointless, yet oh-so-important thingy on the last chapters:**

**CATS belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber. Sadly, not me. If it was me, the songs would have terrible melodies, and Mistoffelees would be in all of them. So...maybe it's for the best.**

Chapter Two

When I arrived at the junkyard, it had grown dark. The moon was shining brightly overhead, and the stars seemed to dance. It was a perfect night for the Ball.

But something was missing. The junkyard appeared empty. I briefly wondered if I'd gotten the date mixed up. No, that wasn't possible. I was sure it was the right night.

Then, as if my slightly panicked thoughts had signaled it, the four-note, pitter-pat intervals that meant Jellicles were appearing one at a time started. I smiled and ducked into a corner so I didn't end up standing in the middle like some idiot. I could see movement, but I couldn't see which cat was in which place. I could see a tom crawling down from atop the TS-E1.

Then Munkustrap's voice rang through the night.

"_Are you blind when you're born?"_

My fur pricked with excitement. The Jellicle Ball was starting.

"_Can you see in the dark?"_

"_Dare you look at a king?"_

"_Would you sit on his throne?"_

"_Can you say of your bite, that it's worse than your bark?"_

I noticed a queen who should have taken her spot by now wasn't there. I'd never thought much of her, seeing that I didn't even know her name. But in order to avoid an awkward pause, I crawled over to where the queen should be while Alonzo was singing:

"_Are you cock of the walk?"_

And came in with,_ "When you're walking alone?"_

Munkustrap glanced briefly in my direction, probably surprised by the different voice. I shrugged, and he nodded, understanding. Then the chorus started.

"_Because Jellicles are and Jellicles do_

_Jellicles do and Jellicles would_

_Jellicles would and Jellicles can_

_Jellicles can and Jellicles do,"_

Have you ever danced in someone's place? Let me tell you, it's a strange experience. Especially, when you're looking at a familiar sight from a completely new angle. I think I stepped on someone's tail.

"_When you fall on your head, do you land on your feet?"_

"_Are you tense when you sense there's a storm in the air?"_

"_Can you find your way blind when you're lost in the street?"_

"_Do you know how to go to the Heavyside Layer?"_

At this point, I have clue whatsoever where I'm supposed to be, so I duck into my usual spot, and try not to get tripped over on the way there. I saw something move out of the corner of my eye. When I looked, whatever it was seemed to move back. I guessed it was some cat being too eager for their entrance, but I wondered why they ran off.

"_Because Jellicles can and Jellicles do_

_Jellicles do and Jellicles can_

_Jellicles can and Jellicles do_

_Jellicles do and Jellicles can_

_Jellicles can and Jellicles do"_

"_Can you ride on a broomstick to places far distant?"_

"_Familiar with candel?"_

"_With book and with bell?"_

"_Where you Whittington's friend?"_

"_The Pied Piper's assistant?"_

"_Have you been in alumnus of Heaven and Hell?"_

I waited for the next line, but it never came.I looked over to where the next singer should be. Neither Mungojerrie nor Rumpleteazer where there to sing their lines. Everyone was looking around. _Where are they?_ I wondered. During the confusion, Etcetera missed her entrance, but luckily Cassandra finally came in with:

"_Were you there when the Pharaohs comitioned the Sphinx?"_

And everyone else:

"_If you were and you are, you're a Jellicle cat,"_

During the rest of the song, I didn't sing much.I was thinking.Mungo and Teazer never missed a Ball without saying something. And I could tell by everyone else's reaction that they hadn't told anyone they weren't coming. I half expected then to show up carrying sacks, apologizing for being late, but they never did. I guess I was worried. Sure, I knew they could take care of themselves, if any cat could, it was those two, but something told me something wasn't right.

I didn't speak much when we recited the Naming of Cats, either. In fact, I pretty much zoned out(I do that a lot) until the music got really loud. It was almost impossible to ignore.

"Meow,"

I sighed. Time to find a safe place. The last thing anyone needed was to get run over by a stampede of rabid Rum Tum Tugger fankits.

I ended up sitting next to Alonzo, who was dreamily watching Cassandra, who was, unfortunately for Lonz, watching Tugger. Alonzo looked like he was debating whether to get up and talk to her, but I could see he was getting no where fast.

_Oh for Everlasting Cat's sake, Go, You idiot! _I thought, _Kiss the girl, get on the train, do something!_

Cassie was about five seconds away from joining the Tugger party, and Alonzo was five seconds away from missing his chance with Cassandra, again. Poor thing never got noticed. But he wouldn't be such a 'poor thing' if he wasn't so scared of talking to queens.

So I did what anyone would do for a lovestruck tom. I stood up, and shoved him in her direction.

He looked over his shoulder at me with a horrified expression. I gestured for him to go forward, and the only reaction I got was a blushing black-and-white tom. I rolled my eyes and gestured again. By this time, Cassandra had looked up to see what on Earth Alonzo was doing.

Alonzo finally turned around, "Um, Cass," he said, weakly.

"Alonzo," Cassandra replied. It sounded as if they'd just passed each other of the street.

Alonzo glanced back at me. "Ask her to dance!" I mouthed. _Everlasting Cat, help this tom._

"I was wondering if, uh, you'd like to dance with me," he choked out, "Sometime tonight,"

_Hallelujah! Was that so hard?_

Cassandra glanced at me, "Looks like the tribe has a matchmaker now," I blushed a little, and Alonzo blushed harder. "Sure, I'd love to dance with you later,"

The queen stepped forward, touched his chin, and walked away. Alonzo turned towards me, wide-eyed.

"Thank you!"

I laughed, he laughed harder.

"_And there's no doin' anything abou-ou-out it!"_

**Author's Note:** **Oye Vey, so many italics. Stupid WordPerfect, now it thinks **_**italics**_** is the font it's supposed to always be on. I had to click it off like five times.**

**Narrator's identity coming up real soon. If not the next chapter, then most definetly the one after it. I don't think I've ever been this into a story. I might just type the next chap right now. ^.^**

**~TMNH**


	4. Chapter Three redone

**Author's Note: CATS belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber.** **(And T.S. Eliot. No one ever remembers him :(... )**

Chapter Three

Ever since I'd gotten Alonzo to ask out Cassandra, he'd been trying to get me to hook other couples up. It was so not going to happen. He kept pointing out random cats and their random soul mates. His opinions were terrible, I might add. He thought Skimbleshanks and Jellylorum would be good for each other. Those two hardly ever spoke. And just when I thought I'd lost him, he'd come back with a new Cupid strategy.

"No, Alonzo!"

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing: Mungojerrie isn't even here!" Yeah. This is what I was dealing with.

"Hmm, that _is_ a good point," he said, as if he really hadn't thought of it.

"You think?" _I swear, if he does this one more time..._

The next song started. I was grateful, for I knew this one was enough to get Alonzo out of my fur.

"_I believe it is Old Deuteronomy,"_

There was a series of excited gasps, and sure enough, our leader was making his way, slowly, to the junkyard. Everyone, including Alonzo ran up to him. So did I, but I made sure I was far away from the patched tom. I was sure he'd be decent later, but for now, he'd better stay away.

Suddenly, Munkustrap stood up in front of the tribe. A skit for the leader, I was sure, but instead of singing, He gestured to someone. Jellylorum with Gus.

Were they doing Gus's song early?

"_Gus is the cat at the Theater door,_

_His name, as I've ought to have told you before,_

_Is really Asparagus, but that's such a fuss_

_To pronounce, That we usually call him just Gus._

_His coat's very shabby,_

_He's thin as a rake,_

_And he suffers from Palsy which makes his paws shake._

_Yet he was in his youth, quite the smartest of cats,_

_But no longer a terror to mice or to rats._

_For he isn't the cat that he was in his prime ,_

_Though his name was quite famous, he says, in his time ._

_That moment of mystery, when he made history,"_

They were performing the song slightly different. I remembered lots of lyrics that they

seemed to just have skipped. Then Gus sang:

"_I once played Growltiger. I could do it again,_

_I could do it again,_

_I could do it again..."_

The music changed suddenly to a tune I'd never heard before, and everyone either started to rush out of sight or help set up a scene. Finally, the only cats left were Munkustrap, Mistoffelees, Alonzo, and Tugger all wearing strange costumes_._ Then they started singing.

"_Growltiger was a Bravo cat who traveled on a barge,_

_In fact, he was the roughest cat that ever roamed at large,"_

"_From Gravesend up to Oxford, he pursued his evil aims,_

_rejoicing in the title of 'the Terror of the Thames',"_

"_His manners and appearance did not calculate to please,_

_His coat was torn and seedy, it was baggy at the knees," _

Mistoffelees gestured to his own outfit, which wasn't amazing, either.

"_One ear was somewhat missing, no need to tell you why,_

_And he looked upon the hostile world with one forbidding eye," _

I was intrigued. This story was one I'd never heard before.

_The cottagers of Rotherhithe new something of his fame,_

_At Hammersmith and Putney people shuddered at his name,_

_They would fortify the henhouse, lock up the silly goose,_

I giggled.

_When rumor ran along the shore:"_

"_Growltiger's on the loose!" _I jumped as someone came out of nowhere and started cackling. _Gus?_ I thought, but then realized it was Asparagus playing Growltiger. _Cool._

"_Woe to the weak canary that fluttered from its cage,"_

_"Woe to the pampered Pekinese, that faced Growltiger's rage,"_

_"Woe the bristly bandicoot that lurks on foreign ships ,"_

"_And woe to any cat with whom Growltiger came to grips ,"_

During this part, Growltiger spent most of his time marching around and beating on his crew.

_"But most to cats of foreign race his hatred had been vowed,"_

The crew pulled themselves together, and stood behind Growltiger.

_"To cats of foreign name and race, no quarter was allowed,"_

_"The Persian and the Siamese regarded him with fear,_

The crew started shaking like they were afraid.

_Because it was a Siamese-"_

Okay, Ow. Claws on a chalkboard…

"_-had mauled his missing ear,"_

Then the mood changed slightly. The music grew slower and sweeter.

_"Now on a peaceful summer night all nature seemed at play,_

_The tender moon was shining bright, the barge at Molsey lay,_

They all started swaying to the music, leaving Growltiger to steer the ship. He didn't look happy about that.

_All in the balmy moonlight it lay rocking on the tide,_

_And Growltiger was disposed to show his sentimental side,"_

A queen in white appeared, and she and Growltiger ran to eachother. It was really

Jellylorum dressed in an overly-furry costume.

_"In the forepeak of the vessel, Growltiger stood alone,"_

"_Concentrating my attention on the lady Griddlebone," _he sang.

"_And his raffish crew were sleeping-" _

He turned to glare at his crew, whom were trying to catch Griddlebone's attention.

_in their barrels and their bunks,"_

The crew left somberly. Suddenly, nearly every other Jellicle (in costume) crept on stage. Growltiger and Griddlebone had no idea they were there.

"_As the Siamese came creeping in their sampans and their junks," _The others sang.

"_Growltiger had no eye or ear for aught but Griddlebone," _Griddlebone sang.

_"And the lady seemed enraptured by my manly baritone," _sang Growltiger, flaunting.

_"Disposed to relaxation and awaiting no surprise,"_

_"But the moonlight shone reflected from a thousand bright blue eyes_," The siamese

returned, and the two lovers were still oblivious to the danger.

"_And closer still and closer the sampans circled 'round, _

The Siamese tiptoed around the stage. Meanwhile, Griddlebone seemed to be having second thoughts because the two kept almost kissing, but she'd run off at the last second.

_And yet from all the enemy there was not heard a sound,_

_The foe was armed with toasting forks and cruel carving knives,_

They showed off they're weapons.

_And the lovers sang their last duet in danger of their lives_,"

Griddlebone and Growltiger started to sing. I strained to listen, for I couldn't make out their words. Then I figured out that they weren't speaking English. But it was beautiful anyway.

"_In una tepida notte d`estate, allorche la natura,_

_Era nel pieno fulgore, e la resca rugiada,_

_Splendeva al chiar di luna sopra la verzura,_

Growltiger kept putting his arm in front of Griddlebone's face, causing the queen to have to duck down awkwardly so everyone cloud see her.

_Si poteva vedere il galeone ancorato,_

_Oscillare in silenzio nel vento profumato,_

Then Growltiger knocked her in the forehead. I guessed it was choreographed that way.

_Dalla marea del naviglio serenamente cullato,_

_In quella tepida notte che c`e dunque di male,_

_Se in tnata poesia anche il pirata divento sentiventale?_

They got up and danced a little, before holding paws and singing out.

_Oscillare in silenzio nel vento profumato,_

_Dalla marea do naviglio sernamente cullato,_

_In quella tepida notte,_

_In quella tepida notte,_

_In quella tepida notte_,"

They bowed and it wasn't long after the duet ended that someone had to ruin the moment. A siamese dressed slightly different than the others stood up, holding a paw out awkwardly.

"_Then Genghis gave the signal to his fierce Mongolian horde,_

_With a frightful burst of fireworks, the Siamese swarmed aboard!_

_Abandoning their sampans, the pullaways, their junks,_

_They battened down the hatches with the crew within their ban- _bunks_!"_

That's when I figured out why his paw was held up so weird. He was reading lines off his arm. I turned to the cat next to me.

"What are you doing, Pouncival?" I asked before my other question had a chance to be asked. He _appeared_ to be shooting down everyone with an invisible gun. He looked at me and stuck his tongue out. "Classy," I muttered.

"What? I do this every year," he said, gesturing to his inviso-gun, "Last year it was the queens,"

I rolled my eyes, "Who's playing Genghis?"

"Uhh, Admetus, I think," he replied, "It's supposed to be Mungojerrie, but the guy never showed up,"

"Poor Metus," I said, but I was already starting to walk away. I wanted to ask Munkustrap something. He was standing just off to the side, "Munk, I was wondering if you-"

"In a minute, this is my entrance," he said as he ran out into the open with the other three pirates.

"-found it strange that Mungo and Teazer aren't here," I finished by myself, "Thanks, Munk!"

Being off to the side, It was hard to see what the pirates were doing, so I was going to find a better place to watch the rest of the thing, but something caught the corner of my eye. Again, it moved out of my line of sight. I looked to the Ball, and back in the direction of Cat-Who-Doesn't-Want-To-Be-Seen. _I bet I'll be back before the skit is over._ _It's a long one this year._

I went after what – or who – ever it was.

I ducked under and arch of junk, and ran out into the open just in time to see and orange-ish tail disappear down an alley. I followed it. I wanted to see who it was, and when I found out, I was going to find out why they kept running off. I chased the tail through two more alleys before it came to a stop.

When I reached the entrance to a dead-end alley, I stopped dead in my tracks. The tail belonged to Mungojerrie.

"Good work," another cat was saying to him, "I knew you'd be helpful with the proper encouragement,"

It was Macavity.

**Author's Note: Oh my Everlasting Cat, this chapter is long. But then, I guess that's what happens when you type out the majority of a song** **with the actual story to go along with it, huh? I guess I could have just summarized most of it. At least until Pounce tells Jaymie that Metus is filling in for Mungo. But...I like this song!**

**Narrator's identity coming next chapter!** **(It's honestly not going to be as exciting as you'd expect. Sorry. ((You'll understand when it comes.(((Maybe.)))))) Lol, its fun abusing parentheses. That's how you spell the plural, right? Oh well. **

**Til next time!**

**~TMNH**


	5. Chapter Four

**Author's Note: Don't you just love plot-twists and cliffhangers?**

**CATS belongs to – not me – Andrew Lloyd Webber.**

**Oh, and I can, but choose not to write the Cockney accents. Accents should always be heard. Not read. So just imagine the stressed consonants and distorted vowels.**

Chapter Four

Reality struck hard.

Not only had I witnessed Mungojerrie betraying the Jellicle tribe, but I'd also been _spotted_ witnessing Mungojerrie betray the Jellicle tribe. Both cats were looking in my direction, and Macavity's face spelled 'danger.' So I ran.

Unfortunately, I'm neither good at working under pressure nor a fast runner, so I was easily overtaken by Mungojerrie. He slapped a paw over my mouth and dragged me back into the alley. I struggled, but it didn't help my situation very much.

"So this is the one that saw you the first time," Macavity said rather than asked. I'd never actually heard him speak, and, under the circumstance, wished I still hadn't.

Mungojerrie nodded behind me.

"We'll take her with us," he said, "She knows too much. We can't have her running back to Munkustrap,"

"Yes, sir," Mungojerrie half whispered.

Macavity turned without another word and Mungo followed, dragging me with him.

We walked for a while. I noticed Mungo was holding me head a certain way so I couldn't see exactly where we were going.

_Well, at least one thing's for sure,_ I thought,_ Now I know why Mungojerrie missed the Ball._

After a while, we stopped. From what I could see, we seemed to be at the back of a vacant building. I sensed another cat. Probably one of Macavity's henchmen; A guard.

"Take her," Macavity told the cat, and I was thrust into the henchcat's paws. To Mungojerrie, he said, "You stay here,"

Again, I was dragged, but this cat didn't know enough to hold my head down. The inside of the building looked like an old, abandoned supermarket. The aisles still set up, but the shelves were empty. We were heading towards a door in the back.

I was thrust into the room. It was a makeshift cell. Probably once a refrigerator of storage room. Macavity motioned for the henchcat to leave. He nodded and left. Then Macavity turned to me. I felt my heart speed up a little.

"I want to make something very clear," he said, "Now that you're involved in this, there's so certainty that you get out. But since you _are_ involved, I might as well tell you why you're here."

_What? What kind of villain tells people their plan? _I said nothing, but waited for him to continue.

"My goal is to capture Deuteronomy, as you may haveguessed, but I'm also aiming to get back at that magical kitten for foiling my plans last year," As if as an afterthought, he added, "And my fool brother, if need be."

In spite of my self, I said, "You'll fail, Macavity. You can't defeat the entire tribe,"

For a moment, the mystery cat looked furious, but he composed himself. Calmly he said, "That's where you're wrong. And besides, I've got that cat-burglar on my side,"

With that, he stepped out and closed the door behind him, leaving me alone in the fridge.

Or so I thought.

I heard a sound behind me. I'm not sure what it was, but I turned around and saw another cat was in the cell with me, huddled in a corner.

"Rumpleteazer?" _Didn't see that coming._ "What are you doing here?"

She turned her head towards me, and it was easy to tell she'd been crying for a time. "Why do you think Jerrie's working for that Macavity?" she said, "He got me first. He's threatening me so Jerrie'll do what he says!" Her eyes watered a little, and she turned away.

"So that's what he meant by 'the proper encouragement'," I thought out loud.

"It's not fair!" Teazer cried out more to herself, "Jerrie's only doing this 'cause of me!"

"It's not you're fault Teazer," I said, "We'll fix this,"

"How?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't know," I admitted, "But we will,"

Rumpleteazer sighed. "Did anyone see you leave? If you don't come back, they might come looking for you."

"I'm afraid not," I said, "No one ever notices Exotica," I said my name as if it was a curse.

"That's not true," she replied.

"It is," I insisted, "I'm always on the sidelines,"

"That doesn't mean no one notices you," she said.

"Oh yeah? Prove it," I was being immature. I knew it. I just didn't care.

"You're coming of age this year, right?"

Well that sort of proved it. "Who told you that?" I asked, surprised that anyone would remember.

"Jerrie," she said.

"Really?" I asked. Rumpleteazer nodded.

"I think he likes you," she said.

"I'll bet he doesn't," I said.

"Wanna bet?"

"Sure. But we have to get out of this mess first,"

"Deal,"

"How come we never talk?" I asked. I had a feeling I'd get along nicely with Rumpleteazer. Hey, we were doing pretty well in the 'imprisoned' scenario, which was always promising.

"Because you don't talk," she said matter-of-factly.

"That's a good point,"

"How _do_ we get outta here?" she asked, changing the subject.

"I don't know," I said, "You're the one who's good at this stuff,"

"Yeah, let's steal his pearls," she meowed sarcastically, "That'll help,"

There was an awkward silence for a few moments. Both she and I avoided the other's eyes. After a while, Teazer sighed.

"Jerrie's the one who comes up with all the plans,"

"Yeah?" I said, trying to be helpful, "Well, he's only one of two,"

She looked up at me and smiled, "I guess you're right," she said, "But seriously, we have to come up with a plan,"

I nodded and looked around for anything that looked useful. The only things in the room besides us were a few empty wooden crates stacked on top of each other. _Maybe we can mail ourselves away,_ I thought, feeling defeated.

I head Rumpleteazer sigh. She'd come up empty, too.

"Come on," I urged, "You've never come across a situation like this before?"

"I..." she trailed off, looking at the crates as if the answer would jump out of them. Aparently it did, because then she said, "Oh! This has never happened to me, but one time when Jerrie was a kitten, the humans locked him in the bedroom. He hid under the bed, and then when the human came to check on him, she thought he'd escaped somehow, so she started to look for him, but she left the door open, so he escaped while she wasn't looking,"

I gasped, "We could hide in the crates!" I mewed, "You think Macavity would fall for it?"

"Macavity? No," She said, "But have you listened to the henchcats talk for a few minutes? They'd believe you were an alien if you tried hard enough,"

I laughed, "So lets go," I said, taking a step toward the crates.

"Someone's coming, hurry!," Rumpleteazer hissed, rushing passed me.

I darted over to the crates and crawled into the closest one, my head disappearing from view just as the door opened. Through a small crack in the wood, I could see a large henchcat standing in the doorway carrying a feeble-looking meal. The look on his face was priceless. Dumbfounded with a mix of panic. I felt bad for him. Macavity wasn't going to take too kindly to his only prisoners escaping. The henchcat turned on his heal and darted in the direction he'd come from, leaving the door open.

I started to get up.

"Wait," I head Rumpleteazer whisper, "Don't move until his pawsteps disappear,"

I listened, and waited for the patter of his paws to fade and then disappear. We crawled out of the crates and looked at each other. And as if by some unspoken comand, ran as fast as we could through the door way.

The first thing Teazer did was run towards the door I'd come in from.

"Teazer, No!" I said, trying not to raise my voice too much, "That door has a gaurd!"

She didn't hear me, so I turned to run after her. Instead of running up to the calico queen, I ran _into _something. I backed off and looked up. A calico _tom._

"Mungojerrie!" I gasped.

"You escaped?" he asked as if he couldn't believe it. He started to stammer slightly, "Y-you shouldn't have done that. Macavity-"

He was cut off by a shriek. We turned and saw The same guard as before holding Rumpleteazer by the scruff. She was batting at his paw, trying to get him to let her go, but it wasn't very effective. The guard was glaring in Mungojerrie's and my direction. I couldn't tell if it was directed at me or him.

"Run," he said, his voice low.

"What?" Then what he had said connected, "What about Teazer? And you?"

"I'll think of something. Just go," he said. He risked a glance at me. He'd been having a stare-down with the guard. "Go,"

I nodded, and ran. There had to be another door somewhere. The one I'd come through had been the back door. So the front door had to be on the other side of the store.

I heard the guard shout, "Hey!" I glanced and saw both he and Mungojerrie staring in my direction. Rumpleteazer still held by her scruff. Mungo's eyes said, _Don't look back. Just keep going._

So I did.

Soon, I could see the front door. There was a henchcat guarding that one, too. But he didn't see me coming. If I was lucky, I could get passed him and put some distance between us before he realized what was going on. I ran faster, and darted passed him. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him give me a confused, and possibly annoyed, expression. I wondered if he even knew I was a prisoner. I didn't stick around to find out, I kept going. Just like Mungojerrie had told me.

I was still picking my way through streets and alleys before I realized I had no clue where I was going. This wasn't an area I was familiar with.

"Great. Just great." I muttered. I had to find the junkyard. I had to find Munkustrap and tell him what was going on. He'd know what to do.

_Okay. Calm down,_ I told myself, _To figure out where you need to go, you must first figure out where you are._

I looked around. Finding a high place to look around from was always good. I smiled. I was close to a good sized building with a fire escape on the side. I trotted over and climbed up, looking in every direction once I reached the top. I was looking for anything that looked like a junkyard.

Then something caught my eye. Not far off, a small area was flashing with different lights. Bright, then tinted blue, then different colors, then bright again. It had to be the Ball. I climbed back down to the street, and started running – again – in that direction.

It didn't take very long to reach the source of the lights. And from that perspective, I could tell it was definitely the junkyard. I was coming from the back of the yard, however, so I had to climb the pile of random stuff before I could see the jellicles on the other side.

Just before I reached the top of the pile, I called out, "Munkustrap!" and was instantly blinded by a particularly bright light. The next thing I knew, I was tumbling down the junk pile into the middle of a dance. Everyone stopped and looked to see what was going on.

Cassandra came up to me, "Exotica, are you okay?" she asked, helping to my feet.

I didn't answer, I was trying to locate Munkustrap from the crowd of cats. He was picking his way to the front. "Exotica," he said before he got there, "What is it?"

I met him at the front of the crowd. "It's Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer. Macavity's got them and he's planning something again," I blurted out, "He captured Teazer so that Mungo would do what he told him, and he's been spying the whole Ball!"

Munkustrap listened until I had finished. "How do you know all this?" he asked.

I told him everything. About how odd I felt it was that Mungo and Teazer never showed up to the Ball. About seeing the cat disappearing for the first time, and how I followed it the second time. How I caught up to the disappearing cat and learned it was Mungojerrie, and that he was with Macavity. I told him how Macavity had told me his plans, and lastly I told him how Rumpleteazer and I escaped, but Teazer had been captured again.

The clearing was silent when I'd finished my tale. Many jellicles were looking on wide-eyed. Some were even gawking. Cassandra, along with Jemima, and Jellylorum, had a horrified look on their faces. Munkustrap looked me over carefully, as if he was processing what I had said.

"What are we going to do?" I asked after a while, feeling very small.

Munkustrap turned to the tribe, glancing at Deuteronomy who hadn't left his seat on the tire. "If Macavity is planning to capture Old Deuteronomy and Mistoffelees," he said, "We have to make sure everyone is safe. We'll continue the Ball, but no one should go anywhere alone. Especially Old D and Mistoffelees,"

Mistoffelees looked at his paws, and Victoria gave him a comforting nuzzle. The cats closest to Deuteronomy took a seat close to him, sitting in a protective matter. Munkustrap looked at Alonzo, who nodded and took a seat at a high point in the junkyard. Lookout.

The music restarted, and some of the cats joined into a half-hearted dance. I looked around. Munkustrap was walking away. _No..._

"Munkustrap," I said, catching up to him, "What about Jerrie and Teazer? They're still with Macavity,"

"There's not much we can do about that," he said without looking at me, "We'll just have to hope they make it out,"

"But we can do something," I insisted, "I know where he's keeping them. We can go there,"

"It's too dangerous," Munk said.

"But- "

"Exotica," He looked at me then, "It's too dangerous,"

I looked at my paws. I understood. This was his final decision.

Still looking at my paws, I picked my way through the junkyard, seeking my usual spot in the back. _Maybe this time I'll really disappear instead of my dark fur just blending in._ I thought. I wanted to go somewhere and just...Not exist. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were in danger, and Munkustrap wasn't doing anything about it. I sighed, and bumped into someone.

"Oh, sorry, I- " I looked up, "Hi, Admetus,"

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"You're not just going to sit here while you could be helping those two, are you?" he asked.

"Munkustrap said- "

"Munkustrap's wrong," He said, "Are you coming with us, or not?"

"Us? I asked. Admetus looked over his shoulder, and Plato came up behind him, followed by Tugger and Cassie. "Thanks guys,"

"And technically," Tugger said, "We're not breaking any rules. Munk only said we couldn't go anywhere alone,"

**Author's note: My, that was a long chapter. Gasp! The mystery cat is Exotica? Told you it wasn't exciting. But hey, I made up for that with the Mungo/Teazer/Mac plot twist, I think. Okay, up to now, and the very end, are the only parts I have/had planned out, so the rest will probably be improv. Yay, Improv!**

**Also, I realize Growltiger's Last Stand was horribly lacking in detail. I plan on redoing that chapter at some point.**

**Bad Munk, you're supposed to be the protector! :(**

**Until next time! TTFN!**

**~TMNH**


	6. Chapter Five

Author's note: I am SO SORRY this took so long. My computer needed to go in for repairs, and my laptop doesn't have a Word program. But I finally have this back, so updates should be regular-ish from now on. I hope no one lost faith in me.

CATS © Andrew Lloyd Webber

**Chapter Five**

**It took me a second to realize I was leading the group, and another second to realize this was the first time I had led anything. It felt good, actually.**

**Instead of focusing on that, though, I focused on why these particular cats wanted to come with me. I was good at figuring out stuff like that. Being able to watch and figure out cats' personalities was one of my 'talents' for lack of a better word.**

**Cassandra was probably coming because she'd flip if anything happened to me.**

**Tugger would jump off a building if Munkustrap told him not to.**

**Admetus knew he probably wouldn't be missed, same as me.**

**I couldn't see why Plato was coming, though. He didn't really seem to be one to get a kick out of breaking rules. He didn't interact with Mungojerrie or Rumpleteazer on a regular basis. And it wasn't as if he disliked the Ball. I didn't know. If the reason was important, I supposed I'd find out sooner or later. Things tended to play out that way.**

**I remembered most of the way to Macavity's hideout, but as we started to get close, I drew a blank. That was probably because I'd spent the first few minutes of freedom running blindly. It didn't matter though, I could follow my own scent trail, and pretty soon the old supermarket was within view.**

"**That's it," I said quietly, gesturing with my tail.**

"**Doesn't look like it'll be too hard to get in," Tugger commented, "Look at that guard!"**

**I looked over, and saw the guard I'd darted past earlier. He was asleep. That idiot.**

"**Do we have a plan?" Plato asked me.**

"**Plan?" **_**Crap, **_**"Well, I…no. Not really,"**

**Plato said nothing, just nodded.**

"**How about an idea, then?" Cassandra suggested, "What do we need to look for,"**

"**Well," I said, thinking back, "I know Rumpleteazer was being held in a cell near the back. There's a cat guarding the back door, but he's nothing special. There weren't many guards on the inside, but that's probably changed now that I've escaped. I don't know where Mungojerrie or Macavity might be,"**

"**So all we have to do," said Ametus, "Is sneak past Sleepy, get Teazer out, find Mungojerrie, and get out before anyone sees us,"**

"**Like **_**that's**_** gonna happen," Tugger said.**

"**Well, what other choice do we have?" I asked, "We're five cats. I say we try it and hoped for the best,"**

"**She'd right," Plato said, "It's our only chance,"**

**Admetus, Cassie, and Tugger exchanged a glance and nodded.**

"**Lead the way, Exy," Tugger said.**

**I thought it would be better to sneak in the back door. That way, there would be less of a chance of someone seeing us on our way to Teazer's cell. Unfortunately, that guard was actually awake. I was going to suggest someone make a distraction, when Plato charged at him and head butted him into the wall. The guard fell to the ground unconscious.**

**Plato gestured with his head to come. I snapped my mouth that had been hanging open shut.**

"**Nice moves," I heard Tugger mumble.**

"**Which way to Teazer's cell?" Admetus asked once we were inside, and we hadn't been ambushed for a few moments.**

"**Follow me," I said, following slightly familiar path to the old refrigerator. My fur pricked every time I heard the others' pawsteps. **_**Please let this go smoothly.**_

**When I reached the door, I opened it slowly. I thought there could be a possibility that Macavity would have moved Teazer to a different cell, anticipating a rescue mission.**

**Fortunatly, the familiar calico queen was the first thing I saw.**

"**Exotica?" she cried.**

"**Shh!" I hissed, "We've come to rescue you,"**

"**Right," she whispered and pantomimed zipping her lips.**

"**Do you know where Mungo is?" I asked.**

"**Last I heard, Macavity wanted to talk to him," Her voice sounded meek.**

"**Great, that means we're probably gonna run into Crazy-fur," Tugger muttered.**

**I rolled my eyes, "Come on. If we find Macavity, we'll find Mungojerrie, too,"**

"**Ummm," I heard Cassandra.**

"**What?"**

"**Where did Plato go?"**

**I looked around, sure enough, the brown and white tom wasn't anywhere to be found.**

"**Admetus, he was behind you," I said, "Did you see him?"**

**Admetus shook his head.**

**I placed my head in my paw. **_**Why can't my life be normal? I'm a good cat.**_

"**Is his scent anywhere?" one of the toms asked. I couldn't tell which.**

"**Found it," Teazer meowed, "It leads this way," she said, looking further down the hall, "I think that might be where Jerrie went,"**

"**Okay," I said feeling a little better, "With any luck, they'll be in the same area,"**

"**Yeah, and hopefully we'll find Plato before someone else does," Cassie said.**

**We headed down the hall, peaking in any doors - all empty - and taking out any Henchcats who were unlucky enough to see us. Rum Tum Tugger was good at head butting cats into the wall. I glanced at Rumpleteazer. She looked scared, but determined at the same time. I admired that. I imagined my own expression, and hoped I didn't look as terrified as I felt. My heart was pounding in my chest.**

**We finally came to a promising-looking door. It was bigger than the others, and I could see a light flickering through the small window near the top. **_**Someone**_** was in there. I just hoped the someone was Plato and/or Mungojerrie.**

**I wanted to peak through the window, but it was too high up. "Let me get on your shoulders," I said to Tugger.**

**He looked about to complain.**

"**I'll make sure I don't mess up your pretty mane," I teased before he could say anything. He then said nothing, and I climbed on top.**

**The two of us were tall enough that I could just see into the window. I could see Macavity talking to someone, his expression unreadable. I stretched so I could see who the other cat was.**

**I lost my balance, but not before seeing who it was.**

"**Plato's in there with Macavity," I said.**

"**What in Heavyside's name is he doing in there?" Admetus asked.**

"**Was Jerrie there?" Wondered Rumpleteazer.**

"**I couldn't tell," I told her, "But there's only one way to find out, right?"**

**I put my front paws against the door handle and pushed.**

**Author's note: Well that was rather…anti-climatic. But hey, at least something interesting happened. Now they have to save Plato **_**and**_** Mungo. But how do they do that? I have absolutely no idea.**

**Good news, I'm going to redo chapter three after I upload this. So look out for that one.**

**~TMNH**


	7. Chapter Six

**Author's Note: Looks like I somehow switched the Bold and the Default text in the last chapter. I have absolutely no idea how I missed that. Oh well. It still looks okay.**

***Ahem.***

**CATS belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber and not me. (*still wants it.*) But that might actually be a good thing…Mac's a little out of character. I fail at portraying bad guys. -_- You'll see.**

**Chapter Six**

The door slid open easily. Plato whipped around as if he was startled. Macavity seemed unimpressed, which didn't surprise me much, but he was giving me a look that made me feel uneasy.

"I figured you'd return," he said nonchalantly.

I said nothing, just lashed my tail as my friends entered the room.

"Jerrie!" Rumpleteazer dashed past me. I followed her with my eyes. Mungojerrie was laying in a heap in a corner of the room.

"Hey, Teaze," I heard him say quietly. At least he was awake.

"I so sorry, I got you into this, Jer," Teazer nuzzled him.

"It ain't your fault,"

"Okay, Exotica" I turned towards Cassandra's nervous voice, "We're all together now. What do we do?"

"Well-"

"Plato," I was interrupted by Admetus, "Why'd you disappear like that? We were worried,"

Plato looked at his paws, "I, well…"

"It's okay, kid, you should tell them," Tugger smiled at him.

"Wait, _you _know what's going on?" Tugger wasn't usually one to be on top of things.

Plato sighed. "Yes he does. All the adult cats do. You see, I wanted to met Macavity," he whispered the next part, "He's my father,"

And then I was gaping at the brown tom for the second time that day. I was shocked, and at the same time, it sort of made sense. I knew Demeter was Plato's mother, but Munkustrap wasn't his father. And I knew a small bit of Demeter's short history with the mystery cat, but I had never put two and two together until that moment.

"You never told me," Admetus sounded hurt. Plato was his best friend, after all.

"I was afraid of how you'd react,"

"Well," Admetus said, "I guess it doesn't make _that _much of a difference. You're still the coolest tom in the junkyard,"

"Hey…" Tugger mumbled. Cassandra stifled a laugh.

"Yes, yes, it's a touching reunion," Macavity looked genuinely bored by the situation. I felt bad for Plato. Just because Macavity was evil didn't mean he had to ignore his son, did it? He stepped forward from where he'd been standing and Plato backed off, "Now you're all my prisoners,"

"You'll have to catch us first," Tugger said challengingly.

I gave him an incredulous look. _He can't expect running away to work, can he?_ He gave me a wink. That could mean anything.

Macavity must have been thinking the same thing as me, because he said, "Rum Tum Tugger, still as moronic as ever I see,"

"I'm not a moron, I'm just curious a lot, and that gets me into trouble sometimes,"

_Everlasting Cat, help me._

"No kidding," Rumpleteazer said from the other side of the room. She was helping Mungojerrie to his paws.

"I want to go home," Cassandra groaned.

"Alright! We're gonna go home!" I snapped.

"You have a plan?" Admetus asked, obviously not expecting the answer to be 'yes.'

"You don't always need a plan to do things," I muttered.

_Although, an idea would be nice right about now._ I glanced at Macavity. He seemed to be daring me to try something. He knew I'd fail. We couldn't very well fight him, it took the whole tribe to drive him off last ball. We couldn't run away as Tugger had suggested. The guards would me on us before we left the room. The were probably already positioned outside.

_Wait a second, I got it! Oh Heavyside, I hope I can pull this off…_

"You are going to let us go, Macavity," I said, my voice even.

"Oh really?" he asked, not convinced he would.

I nodded, "Mmm Hmm. In fact, you've already lost,"

Plato, apparently he'd figured out what I was doing, said, "You didn't think Munkustrap would send in a few kits and Cassie and Tugger in here alone, did you?"

"You're bluffing," Macavity sounded confident, but I saw his expression waver ever so slightly.

"Please," I said, loving every second of my bluff, "There are Jellicles outside your hideout as we speak. Munkustrap's waiting to give the order. As soon as he thinks we're in trouble, the aisles will be overrun by cats who would love to sink their claws into your fur,"

"They may already be inside,"

Macavity glared. For a moment I was afraid he would kill us right then and there. If he called our bluff, there would be no escape. We'd all be done for.

And it would be my fault.

But no, Macavity believed us. He looked scared; Scared that he'd be defeated by the Jellicles, by Munkustrap. He would lose even if he let us go, but if he made that decision, _technically_ he'd still be in control.

Macavity was furious when he looked back up at Plato and I, "Go," he spat, "Before I change my mind,"

We did it. I was shocked. We'd actually finished a rescue mission successfully.

_And you led them,_ A voice told me. I couldn't help but smile.

I turned towards the door. "Come on guys, there are cats waiting for us,"

The cats moved to follow me. Tugger stuck his tongue out at Macavity.

"Don't push it," I told him. "Teazer, have you got Mungo?"

"Uhh?" She was holding him up, but was struggling under her older brother's weight.

I helped her by slinging one of his arms over my shoulders. "Alright, lets go,"

When we were almost to the junkyard when I realized something. Two somethings actually.

One, we hadn't been gone long. In fact, I bet the Ball Dance was still going on.

Two, Munkustrap was going to _kill us_ when he saw us come in with Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer.

_Oh well, what are you going to do?_ We'd be punished, that was for sure, but I could handle that. Besides, I had a feeling Munkustrap would just be thankful we were all okay. And if not, Old Deuteronomy would be. And his say overruled Munk's.

"Where'd you learn to bluff like that?" Mungojerrie asked. He'd begun to walk - more or less - on his own.

"I watch and listen a lot," I said, "You pick things up,"

He smiled at me.

"There you are!" an almost painfully familiar voice greeted us as we entered the junkyard. Munkustrap's tail lashed angrily. "You all disobeyed a direct order. I'd expect this from Tugger. But I'm surprised at the rest of you,"

His eyes landed on Plato. I decided to say something before this became awkward.

"It isn't their fault," I said, "If I hadn't shown them the way to Macavity's hideout, they couldn't have come,"

Munkustrap's eyes fell on me. "I know,"

I winced.

"No, everyone made their own decision," Someone said, "Exotica had nothing to do with that fact,"

It was Mungojerrie, he was defending me. But he and Rumpleteazer usually hid if they expected to get in trouble.

Munkustrap started again as if no one had said anything, "You all-"

"Son," He was cut off by Old Deuteronomy. The yard went quiet, "These cat's know they've made a mistake by disobeying you, but they only did so because they thought it was the right thing to do. Do you agree?"

"I suppose, but-"

"And you wouldn't punish them during the Ball, would you? Especially not when one is coming of age?"

I blushed vividly.

"Of course not, sir," Munkustrap said.

"Then," the Jellicle leader said, holding is arms out, "We have a Ball dance to finish, and possibly a mating dance to celebrate,"

On the last part, he gave me a wink, causing me to blush harder.

_And I thought Macavity was scary? The thought of the mating dance is ten times worse…_

**Author's note: Hooray, everything is right with the world. Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer are saved, The rescue team isn't in trouble, (At least not until the end of the ball…) And everyone feels like dancing!**

**Now Xottie just has to get over her fear of being the center of attention. That's a little bit ironic, dontchya think? After all. This fic is aaaall about her.**

**Til next time,**

**TMNH~**


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